Colbert teams up with UFW over immigration

FILE - In this April 9, 2008 file photo, Stephen Colbert is photographed at his office in New York.Colbert teamed up Thursday night with Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America, in a challenge to unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs. (AP Photo/ Jim Cooper, file)
— AP

FILE - In this April 9, 2008 file photo, Stephen Colbert is photographed at his office in New York.Colbert teamed up Thursday night with Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America, in a challenge to unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs. (AP Photo/ Jim Cooper, file)
/ AP

But the host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" teamed up Thursday night with Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America, in a challenge to unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs.

The union has been asking Americans to fill out an online form under the banner "I want to be a farm worker" at
http://www.takeourjobs.org
, and they'll be trained and connected to farms.

Rogriguez says that so far just three Americans had responded and were in the fields.

"Make that four," the comedian replied emphatically.

The UFW acknowledges that most farmworkers were born abroad but argues that most Americans don't want the work.

Proponents of tougher immigration laws respond that the problem with the UFW's proposition is that growers don't want to raise wages and improve working conditions enough to attract Americans.